The poem by Christina Rosseti entitled Remember is about a request made upon a loved one’s death. This poem is a sonnet, which is written in iambic pentameter in the pattern of ABBA ABBA CDDECE. Remember is written from a female’s point of view, but can also be adapted to the male perspective. The speaker’s point of view starts out being fearful, and then changes in to a tone of acceptance. This essay attempts to address the points brought forth by the speaker, as well as to explore the themes and symbolism within the poem.
The central theme revolves: remembering a loved one, which is a juxtaposition of death and love. The poem becomes a multilevel work of art that speaks to the masses, by evoking a plethora of thoughts and emotions. By design, …show more content…
The overall mood of the sonnet is quiet and soothing with a shimmer of hopefulness, which is slightly more difficult to interpret. Imagine a young woman looking at her beloved caressingly. A half-hearted smile and gently pleading eyes, she knows the significance of her request, but because of their love also knows his willingness to oblige as if it were ordained. What the poem leaves out, adds clues to its’ interpretation. The absence of resentment and bitterness in the tone not only suggest acceptance of her death, but may also mean that they are not currently in that situation; merely a couple’s discussion of the future “ Remember me when no more…””of our future you planned. Compassion is symbolized throughout the poem in words like counsel and prey, and in the term “hold my hand”. Her compassion shows through when she decides to look past her own desires by acknowledging the reality that he will eventually forget, not because he wants to but because life will distract him and pull him away. Not only is it human nature to forget, but life will simply require him to think of her less and less over time.
The line by line analysis of this poem will serve to clarify the critical points set forth by the speaker.
“Remember me when I am gone away, (1) Gone far away into the silent land;
Simply means remember me when I’m dead. The silent land is a metaphor for death. The reader does not know if the speaker is dying or if …show more content…
It signifies the speaker’s fears that her beloved will forget about her after she passes away. This concerns her more than death itself. The speaker has two main goals in mind, the preparation of her beloved for her death and for him to remember her. In the beginning the speaker is worried that her beloved will not remember her, but in end, tells him that it is okay not to remember her; this twist perpetuates a sense of irony. In the first half of the poem her thoughts are of her needs and desires, but in the second half of the poem her thoughts are only of his wellbeing.” Line 11 “Yet if you should forget…” signals the turning point in the conversation and the speaker’s logic, also highlights the paradox of her request. Resolution for the speaker, her beloved and their love comes in the last two lines of the poem. Her original fears and concerns are pushed aside by her love for him and her wish for him to be happy. Most significantly, her beloved is given permission to move on with his life. The speaker absolves him of the guilt he would feel for not continuing to mourn her and the loss of their physical relationship. Rossetti’s poetry ode to remembrance is neither literal or ambiguous. It is a complex work of beauty devised to make the reader reflect on his or her own mortality. Although approaching the poem from the aspect of multi-dimensional topics seems complicated Rosseti achieved beauty in simplicity by the
The central theme revolves: remembering a loved one, which is a juxtaposition of death and love. The poem becomes a multilevel work of art that speaks to the masses, by evoking a plethora of thoughts and emotions. By design, …show more content…
The overall mood of the sonnet is quiet and soothing with a shimmer of hopefulness, which is slightly more difficult to interpret. Imagine a young woman looking at her beloved caressingly. A half-hearted smile and gently pleading eyes, she knows the significance of her request, but because of their love also knows his willingness to oblige as if it were ordained. What the poem leaves out, adds clues to its’ interpretation. The absence of resentment and bitterness in the tone not only suggest acceptance of her death, but may also mean that they are not currently in that situation; merely a couple’s discussion of the future “ Remember me when no more…””of our future you planned. Compassion is symbolized throughout the poem in words like counsel and prey, and in the term “hold my hand”. Her compassion shows through when she decides to look past her own desires by acknowledging the reality that he will eventually forget, not because he wants to but because life will distract him and pull him away. Not only is it human nature to forget, but life will simply require him to think of her less and less over time.
The line by line analysis of this poem will serve to clarify the critical points set forth by the speaker.
“Remember me when I am gone away, (1) Gone far away into the silent land;
Simply means remember me when I’m dead. The silent land is a metaphor for death. The reader does not know if the speaker is dying or if …show more content…
It signifies the speaker’s fears that her beloved will forget about her after she passes away. This concerns her more than death itself. The speaker has two main goals in mind, the preparation of her beloved for her death and for him to remember her. In the beginning the speaker is worried that her beloved will not remember her, but in end, tells him that it is okay not to remember her; this twist perpetuates a sense of irony. In the first half of the poem her thoughts are of her needs and desires, but in the second half of the poem her thoughts are only of his wellbeing.” Line 11 “Yet if you should forget…” signals the turning point in the conversation and the speaker’s logic, also highlights the paradox of her request. Resolution for the speaker, her beloved and their love comes in the last two lines of the poem. Her original fears and concerns are pushed aside by her love for him and her wish for him to be happy. Most significantly, her beloved is given permission to move on with his life. The speaker absolves him of the guilt he would feel for not continuing to mourn her and the loss of their physical relationship. Rossetti’s poetry ode to remembrance is neither literal or ambiguous. It is a complex work of beauty devised to make the reader reflect on his or her own mortality. Although approaching the poem from the aspect of multi-dimensional topics seems complicated Rosseti achieved beauty in simplicity by the